POS0785-PARE NEWLY DIAGNOSED WITH INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS – PATIENTS’ EXPERIENCES, THOUGHTS, AND CONCERNS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Authors: L. Lindgren, T. Thomsen, M. Aadahl, M. L. Hetland, A. De Thurah, S. Kristensen, N. Blum, B. A. Esbensen
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> To be diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis (IA) is challenging for the individual, who may experience uncertainty and anxiety [1,2]. We need more knowledge on how health professionals can support patients that have been diagnosed recently. Previous studies have focused on patients' experience of living with IA, but few have aimed to focus on the newly diagnosed. <h3>Objectives</h3> This study aimed to explore patients' experiences, thoughts, and concerns after being diagnosed with IA. <h3>Methods</h3> Participants were patients newly diagnosed with IA (rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis) recruited from a feasibility study to a self-management intervention [3]. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The analysis was based on reflexive thematic analysis method, which provides a rich and complex understanding of patterns within data [4]. <h3>Results</h3> Twelve adults (six men and six women, aged 25-77) diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (n=8) or with psoriatic arthritis (n=4) within the last three months, were interviewed at an outpatient rheumatology clinic in Denmark. We identified four main themes: 1) <i>The intrusiveness of arthritis.</i> Symptoms affected patients physical and emotional state. The initial symptoms were experienced very differently. For some, symptoms were acute and explosive. In others, disease progression was slow, and participants became more and more invalidated with time. However, all experienced that arthritis affected their mood, and in general, patients were overwhelmed to being diagnosed with arthritis. 2) <i>Getting familiar with arthritis and its treatment</i>. Patients requested information about how to manage IA, and several were already seeking information about non-pharmacological treatments such as different diets, meditation, and exercises. The participants paid great attention to how they responded to the pharmacological treatment and how their bodies reacted in different situations. Furthermore, the newly diagnosed also strove to become acquainted with their new body with arthritis. 3) <i>Adapting to life with arthritis</i>. Some felt it natural to tell family members about their arthritis. In contrast, others thought it was none of their concern and did not like to bother them. The participants did not want arthritis to be an issue for other people to worry about. 4) <i>Worries about the future</i>. Overall, the pharmacological treatment had a profound focus immediately after diagnosis. Worries about the potential lack of effect contributed to great concern and frustration. The worries were related to all aspects of life, including work and family life. However, the newly diagnosed also hoped that symptoms would be acceptable so that everyday life could be restored. Nevertheless, they also realized that they had to rethink how they wanted to prioritize in the future. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The results of this study highlight the complexity of being newly diagnosed with IA. Time after diagnosis is dominated by worries about the benefit and harms of pharmacological treatment and the future. However, the participants did not want to perceive themselves as being sick. Instead, they strove to comfort themselves with hope for successful pharmacological treatment together with taking their own non-pharmacological initiatives. <h3>References</h3> [1]PMID: 32884244 [2]PMID: 31528844 [3]Lindgren LH, de Thurah A, Aadahl M, Hetland ML, Kristensen S, Esbensen BA. Newly Diagnosed with Inflammatory Arthritis (NISMA) – Development of a Complex Self-management Intervention (accepted for publication). [4]PMID: 28087505 <h3>Acknowledgements</h3> The authors thank the participants for generously sharing their experiences and the patient research partner (SDK) for invaluable perspectives and contributions. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.